Saturday, January 31, 2009

I meant to review this last Tuesday but it's been a busy week. When I started reading this issue, I started getting a little concerned. Sara and Dani have become like sisters with everything they've gone through together. For whatever reason fate has decided to have them share the Witchblade, they have a bond that can't be broken. Yet both seem to be acting out of character.

The difference between a pitch and the next stage of the development process—a proposal—is story. A proposal must demonstrate that your pitch has “legs” by providing a more specific outline of events, additional background on the characters, and some sample plots.

As with most every document in comics, there is no “right” way to format a proposal, but I’ve found through years of experience that this is what works best for me:Lead with the high concept, a brief but dynamic one- or two-sentence description of the idea—

—follow that with a little more detail on the bigger picture, clarifying the who, what, where, when, how and why of it all—

—next, give brief bios of the main characters—no more than a short paragraph for each, but enough about them so that whoever’s reading your proposal can have a good handle on them by the time they get to—

—the outline, a more detailed version of “the bigger picture” that walks us gradually through the series an issue or two at a time. Provided it’s interesting to read, feel free to devote about a page to synopsizing issue one, a half-page or so to issue two, and gradually less detail for the next handful of installments. At this point, you’re still in the proposal stage, so you’re walking the fine line between showing you have confidence in your ideas and revealing that you’re so in love with them that you have every page of your opus worked out nine years in advance, which frightens every editor ever. If, as you’re writing your proposal, you’re not sure of the difference, imagine buying a car. Imagine buying it from a confident, knowledgeable salesman who demonstrates its most attractive features and then lets the merchandise do the talking. Then imagine buying it from a salesman who won’t let you leave the showroom until he explains in excruciating detail exactly how the high-performance fuel injection system interfaces with the 1.6L 4cyl VTEC-E engine and insists on giving you the 82-year history of the factory that tooled the camshaft. My point is, don’t overwhelm.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced today that their “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative would begin in February and the inaugural title in the program would be the highly anticipated anniversary issue – The Darkness #75.

The “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative is a yearlong campaign by Top Cow Productions to give out free copies of its regular comics to potential fans in the U.S. and Canada through participating comic book stores. Each month, a different set of stores, each month a different free comic. The stores vary by geography and demographics. Top Cow has partnered with ComicsPRO to bring this promotion to fans and all of the retailers are members of ComicsPRO.

Some rather fiendish combat and a lot of slow-motion bullet-fire failed to ruin my second hands-on demo of March’s “Wanted: Weapons of Fate” game, even if the game’s producer was certain I’d be too squeamish. Wary of my reaction, he began my hands-on time with the game in a most unusual way…

***

“I should have brought you the German version,” Pete Wanat, producer of the upcoming game “Wanted: Weapons of Fate” said as he greeted me last week for a demo of his game. German versions of games tend to be tamer than their global counterparts due to that country’s content restrictions. Wanat was joking. Sort of.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced today that fan favorite Witchblade will get a long deserved, first-ever, annual issue in Witchblade Annual 2009, something diehard fans have been waiting for since the series debut in 1995.

"I had a great time working with all the guys at Top Cow during Pilot Season, so when they asked me to pitch ideas for the Witchblade Annual, I jumped at the chance. I love what Ron Marz is doing with the book, so I tried to remain true to the tone he set," commented writer Jay Faerber.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Witchblade #124 is a “very special episode of Oprah.” Or just a comic, whatever.Now that I have the entire Oprah cult glued to the screen—because they’re definitely the target audience here, of course—we can discuss a little Witchblade. The “Crown Heights” epilogue definitely proves to be an essential issue, as it leaves Sara Pezzini and Danielle Baptiste’s friendship in tatters, their world in jeopardy, and introduces the next foe by the end of the book.

If you're a bad guy in the Wanted: Weapons of Fate world, you should probably start wearing a knife-proof cup. Sure, when you think of this comic/movie franchise that's now gearing up for its videogame debut, curving bullets into people's brains probably comes to mind, but after a full day of seeing and playing this game, I can tell you it's the knife attacks that will keep you coming back for more. There's people getting stabbed in the balls and lifted off their feet, there are blade-to-blade fights, there are guys getting kicked in the knee and having their throats slit so that blood sprays onto the screen, there's cutlery getting buried in chests, and there's even the option for your assassin to reach across cover and stab baddies in the head. READ MORE.

Witchblade wielders Sara Pezzini and Dani Baptiste find themselves at odds over the fate of a girl Dani has taken on as a dance student. Could this be the end of their friendship and perhaps the start of something far more deadly? This issue sets the stage for a storyline that will change Sara, Dani and the Witchblade forever!

By now, it’s no secret that I’m a fan of Ron Marz. His name is on the short list of writers that I’ll read anytime they have something coming out. A book like Dragon Prince isn’t necessarily something I would pick up, but since it’s a Ron Marz penned project, I gave it a shot. Now that the first mini-series is complete, I’m actually pretty glad I followed this story all the way through.

Dragon Prince #4Its all in the family. A family torn apart by what they think is right or wrong. Should dragons roam free?A young dragon just learning his way has some serious adventures ahead. The art and colors bring out the magic within these pages giving it life. It is truely an artistic delight. The dragon is a majestic sight. The artwork brings out the power in it. READ MORE.

Darkness #10/74Jackie has become a collections man. He now works for Sovereign. How the mighty have fallen. He is a shell of his former self.Jackie can be one sadistic mean SOB. Phil Hester writes a compelling story. Jackie's character grabs your attention. Jackie is by no means shown as a good person he does though have a way of dealing with those who are outright evil. Jackie is an anti-hero he does whatever he feels is right and to hell with the consequences. His character is one of no morals where he is concerned with doing what he thinks is right. READ MORE.

Another issue of The Darkness! Just another comic I eagerly await the release of each month. While The Darkness #10 (aka Legacy #74) might not be an essential issue, it’s still an enjoyable read. On the other hand, the reading does progress a bit sluggishly. But hey—when you’re Jackie Estacado and you’re submerged in a deep vat of turkey poo, you might be a little torpid, too.

Today's sketch is pretty simple, even by my standards. I play on a weekly rec dodgeball team here in Los Angeles. It's a fun escape a couple of nights a week and a great way to relieve stress. It's also allowed me to meet some unique, cool people as a new transplant to the City of Angels. The teams get quite creative about uniforms and whatnot and so when they discovered I could draw, they requested I work up a crest for our team, "The Old Balls".The next couple of days will feature some sketch ideas for the crest. I hope they amuse you. This one is a Griffon to symbolize the country club, regal nature of "The Old Balls".

Aaron Chiang's adventures continue, so I sat down with my daughter, Amanda, and we took a look at the final issue in this first (I hope) "Dragon Prince" mini series.

"I like it! Good ending," are the words my eleven-year-old Amanda had to share following her reading of this issue. Amanda liked how it ended, but wonders how the Dragon Hunter's story is going to end. Does he find a family of his own? Will we see more adventures with him? Amanda is officially curious about what happens next, moreso with the Hunter than Aaron and his family.

Here at Top Cow, we don’t publish a lot of straight up superhero comics. Most of the stuff we do is rooted more in other genres like horror, supernatural, sci-fi, espionage, and so on. Even the superhero style projects we do like Wanted or Twilight Guardian tend to be a bit left (or right) of center. I (like almost all fanboys) grew up on a steady diet of superhero comics. My first love was The Uncanny X-Men during the Chris Claremont/Marc Silvestri/Jim Lee era. Years later, the 14-year-old part of me still can’t believe I’m working for one of the guys who initially got me excited about the art form. Thanks to George Perez and Marv Wolfman, I will always have a soft spot for The Teen Titans. But at some point in college I realized that my favorite superhero is Superman.

There are some really great moments in this series and I've really enjoyed it. Lee Moder's style really fits Ron Marz's script very well. It's not gritty or edgy. There's no tits and ass. It's just an enjoyable story that readers of almost any age can pick up. I know it's just the beginning of the year, but I'm sure this will make my top picks. It'll be released in trade sometime this year, so if you missed it the first time, be sure to scoop it up.

Friday, January 23, 2009

For another vampire-style story, let's head on over to Top Cow where they recently launched Impaler, a series written by William Harms and drawn by Matt Timson. Instead of a remote dark town a vampire invasion has occured in present day New York City.

Here are the nominations from the Speakers of Geek and the listeners. Out of the following categories/nominations, send me your selections. From this list the winners will be chosen and announced on an upcoming episode. Easy breezy! Thanks! Send your submissions to peter@comicgeekspeak.com

BEST NEW HERO OR TEAM (debut in 2008)Nick Fury's Secret Warriors (Marvel)the Twelve (Marvel)Julie Martin (Terry Moore's Echo)Twilight Guardian (Top Cow)Zorro (D.E.)Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel)Bucky as the new Captain America (Marvel)

Top Cow has released a preview of Dragon Prince #4 by Ron Marz and Lee Moder, with covers by Moder, Jeff Johnson, Ryan Sook and David Petersen. The solicitation for the issue reads: Imprisoned in a dungeon high up in the Himalaya Mountains, Aaron Chiang comes face to face with the father he always believed was dead – the Dragon King. Can father and son manage to escape from their imprisonment…or will one have to sacrifice his own life to save that of the other? The modern fantasy by Ron Marz and Lee Moder roars to its pulse-pounding climax! Featuring a special variant cover by Ryan Sook (Countdown)!

I’m ready to follow this story wherever it goes, though. I just hope it continues to be as good as the last two issues have been. The Darkness #10/#74 is in comic shops now, and it’s worth adding to your buy pile.READ MORE.

I just recently read the complete "War of the Witchblades" and I have to admit I got pretty giddy. I knew the general idea of what we were going to do, of course, but Ron always throws in additional ideas when he fleshes out a story that just get me excited. Here's a sketch of Dani pondering the burden of the Witchblade as a result.

ICv2 has announced panelists for all of the panels at the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference.These panelists, who join keynote speaker and Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman, include key executives, creators, and other industry figures who will bring their impressive credentials to this important discussion of the graphic novel medium and industry.

Top Cow has actually done something very bold and exciting by pledging to hold all their cover prices at $2.99 through 2009. Sounds great to me! Publisher Filip Sablik has made a commitment to their current and potential (that’s me!) fans that I believe should be supported.

Wanted, the feature film based on the Top Cow comic series by Mark Millar and JG Jones, has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. Congrats to everyone who worked on the film!

January 21, 2009 – A real triple-header event, The Comic Stop in Lynnwood, WA is hosting a store signing with the creators of MICE TEMPLAR, followed by the debut of the world’s first real comic book band KIRBY KRACKLE and finished off with a party!

First off, the signing with MIKE AVON OEMING and BRYAN GLASS will take place from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday, January 31st. A perfect opportunity for you to get your Mice Templar HC signed by both creators, plus Mike will also have his brand new Darkness: Lodbrok’s Hand one-shot available as well.

In addition, Mike is celebrating his birthday that day, so make sure to swing by and wish him a Happy Birthday!

Immediately after the signing, KIRBY KRACKLE will hit the stage, playing cuts from their self-titled debut CD. KIRBY KRACKLE is the world’s first comic book band, a unique sound of music with lyrics based off of the best that pop culture has to offer. Their style of music can be called Geek Rock, Nerd Core and/or Comic Rock. Whatever you want to call it, it’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before.

After the show, the festivities don’t end as The Comic Stop hosts an after party with food and drinks, prizes and more!

The Comic Stop is the largest chain of comic book stores in Washington State with three locations to serve you. Visit us at http://www.comicstoponline.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

This started out as a quick sketch of my wife working on her computer after we got back from a walk in Santa Monica. I was using a crappy marker so I think that hurt it and then she kept moving around (either that or I draw to slow).

Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Peter Petrelli on NBC’s Heroes, will also appear at the NYCC along with his DiVide Pictures partner, Russ Cundiff, writer Rick Loverd, and artist Jeremy Haun to discuss their upcoming Top Cow series Berserker.The #0 issue of the Berserker comic book will be available at the Top Cow booth at the NYCC, and those who attend the Berserker panel will receive a special pass that will allow them to participate in a limited signing event featuring the panelists at the Top Cow booth immediately after the discussion.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Recently the comic ladies and I put together a list of our favorite comics from 2008. One of the categories was Comic Movies, and one of VirtualGirl’s picks was the adaptation of Top Cow’s Wanted. Regretably, I hadn’t seen the film, but figured I better get crackin’. So I finally got around to watching Wanted, based on the Top Cow graphic novel by writer Mark Millar and artist J. G. Jones. I haven’t read the comic either, but I am a big Millar fan. Well, I’m going to have to pick up the dvd along with the movie, because for the most part I loved it.

This was a warm up sketch I did quickly before finally working on an actual full size comic page. As you can see I'm still playing around with some ideas for Glorianna Silver from Broken Trinity. Enjoy!

It's a fact Witchblade fans have known since the Croatian artist (whose name is pronounced Stee-pan Say-itch, if you're wondering) took over the book, giving it a whole new visual identity with his three-dimensional fusion of paint and digital editing, using light to give figures definition and depth. With Volume #6, the first trade collecting Sejic's work on Witchblade issues #116-120, we asked the artist about his experience so far.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Top Cow Productions has sent over their solicitations for comics, books and products scheduled to ship in April 2009. Make note that their regular sized books are still priced at $2.99, so if you’re dropping titles from other publishers due to a price increase you might want to consider replacing them with some of the comics below. Just sayin’. READ MORE.

NYPD Detective Sara Pezzini wields half of the powerful ancient artifact known as the Witchblade. But now she faces a foe that predates even the mystical gauntlet, confronting a deadly horror that has descended upon Brooklyn’s Ultra Orthodox Jewish community. Could the biblical Angel of Death truly have been unleashed?

Meanwhile, the bearer of the other half of the Witchblade, Dani Baptiste, goes to the aid of one of her dance students, but is she being reckless with her power? READ MORE.

I’m honestly a bit worried about the latest issue of Witchblade. I’ve really enjoyed the supernatural murder mystery arc that’s been going on the last few issues, but I can’t shake the sinking feeling that the conclusion might end up being less than satisfying. And why is that? Because the big “January War ” (or will it be “March War” because of the delays?) storyline that Top Cow has been hyping up is on the horizon. And it leaves me thinking that some of Witchblade #123’s story might feel a bit rushed through just to make room for any set up that might be needed for the next arc. I hope I’m wrong, but I’ve definitely talked about Ron Marz rushing to conclusions before… READ MORE.

It’s gotten to the point now where I see the names Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic on the cover of an issue, and I just smile. It’s an involuntary thing, but it’s not hard to understand why. Like I’ve said time and time again, the two of them make a fantastic team on this series, and I can’t (and don’t want to) imagine Sara Pezzini and company in the hands of anyone else. READ MORE.

Here's another quickie sketch on a Starbuck's napkin. I think this started off as a drawing of my wife as she was concentrating on coming up with her next Scrabble move, but she moved so I just ended up doodling a fictonal lady deep in thought.

Friday, January 16, 2009

"So when it came time to write my first blog piece for Newsarama, I asked myself what I could bring to the table that was uniquely my own. Could it be the perspective of a bearded, overweight comics fan? Wow, that’s like carrying coals to Newcastle, or trying to sell Lemmy Kilmister on the benefits of facial wens. Perhaps I could talk about what it’s like to walk into a convention with a pro badge, and proudly notice everyone I pass eyeing it, right before they murmur “who the @#$% is Troy Hickman?” Nah, a column on that would serve only to make me long for the sweet release that oblivion will bring. I guess the obvious choice would be to use it to hype my upcoming Twilight Guardian mini-series, but hey, if I spent a lot of time trying to convince strangers to embrace something of mine, it’d be like dating again."

"As it turns out, the latest Witchblade is about as far from a conclusion as you can possibly get, even if it does bring about a few satisfying plot resolutions. And that readers, is a good thing. I’ll tell you why. The storyline (and battle) involving the voodoo spirit is surprisingly engaging since it seems to only scratch the surface of the bigger plot being developed."

"The "Crown Heights" storyline comes to a close but things are just beginning for Sara. In trying to solve the murder and meeting the voodoo Loa, Marinette Bwa Chech, Sara has more questions than answers. We also see more on Gretchen Fullmer's character and her crusade to discover what is going on with Detective Pezzini."

"Top Cow does two things very wisely in this issue. They continue their recent tradition of an intro page for new readers (paying attention, Marvel and DC?) and kick the story off with an in-your-face opener. A skeletal woman atop a similarly lifeless horse chasing a pretty young lady down an alley is a great attention grabber and Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic do their darnedest to keep your attention through the remainder of the issue."

One of the benefits of being an artist (albeit an inferior one) in my position is that occasionally I can breach the gap between our writers and artists when words just don't get the idea across. Ron Marz had a very specific idea for a particular page in Witchblade #125 and it didn't convey quite right when Stjepan Sejic turned in his layouts. Rather than spend a bunch of time going back and forth trying to clarify with words, Ron just had me draw a quick thumbnail.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Comic book shops - home to high-flying heroes and colorful adventures - appear to be weathering the economic crisis better than many retailers.

"The conventional wisdom has long been that comics do well in a bad economy in that they are relatively cheap entertainment and they're escapism," said Mike Coco, manager of Bargain Comics in downtown Colorado Springs. In fact, comics first rose to popularity during the Great Depression.

Sometimes me and the missus head over to our neighborhood Starbucks and hang out. We enjoy a cup of coffee and often times play a game of Scrabble. While she's pondering her turn, I tend to doodle on nearby napkins. Here is one such sketch. I think it might be Finn from Broken Trinity again because I have a one track mind.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Here's another look at some ideas I've been kicking around for Michael "Finn" Finnegan from Broken Trinity. I thought the explorer/adventurer look was a cool one for our rogue now that he's on a wild goose chase for the 13 artifacts.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Sometimes I just sketch things as an artistic exercise. In this case, I wanted to play around with drawing a hand reaching out and foreshortening. No where near as dynamic and cool as someone like Marc Silvestri or Michael Broussard would draw it, but hey that's why they get paid to do this for a living!

Here's an interesting profile of our pals up at Earth-2 Comics in Sherman Oaks, CA by the LA Daily News. In addition to spotlighting one of our favorite local comic stores, the profile took place during one of Top Cow's Home Town Street Team visits where Michael Broussard signed books for fans."Since the recession challenged even the most upwardly hip comic book buyers, owners of the award-winning comic book and graphic novel boutique said they've had to work doubly hard to engage their superhero-minded clientele. "

Monday, January 12, 2009

I'll be hosting a panel at New York Comic-Con as part of their "education" series. It's going to focus on Publishing and I'll be joined by my buddies Ross Richie, Sean O'Reilly, and Darren Sanchez. Come check us out if you are at the show!

Self-Publisher Secrets3:15 – 4:15 Learn about self-publishing your comics by people who have become publishers. Some success stories…and some not so successful stories. Hear what to do, what to avoid…and much more!Featuring:Host: Filip Sablik – Top CowDarren Sanchez – After Hours PressSean O'Reilly – Arcana StudioRoss Richie BOOM! Studios

I re-watched "Tropic Thunder" recently with the wife and found it just as funny as when I saw it in the theater. While we were watching the movie, I ended up doing some sketching including this sketch of Four Leaf Tayback. I thought Nick Nolte did a phenomenal job with the character.

The real winners in the movie though were of course Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. Those guys really elevated the movie to higher comedic genius.